In Which the Warlock Contemplates Game Against Story...

Okay, fellow gamers.   Bear with me for a tick, once more, as I do some rambling.

The games that I tend to enjoy stem from a fairly diverse number of systems and fundamental game theories.  But, the systems that I tend to favor most recently all have one major thing in common:  the ability to manipulate and even to defeat luck.



The Copper Pot collects some fate...

In WEGS, every Ark comes ready-equipped with a number of Spoints, which can be used on nearly any percentage roll in the game, and even on some non-percentage rolls.  It's entirely possible--and sometimes more than desirable!--to use Spoints to achieve a percentage-chance of success that exceeds 100%.  While this all but guarantees success--barring a really horrible Bad Shot or a Wicked Failure--luck has effectively been removed from the equation.  The spell goes off, the sword strikes true.

In Savage Worlds and its numerous settings, every hero comes equipped with Bennies (or, Fate Chips, if you're playing Deadlands), which can turn a seemingly lethal blow into a near miss, or allow for complete and total re-rolls on skills.  In ICONS, heroes get Determination, which allows them to create power stunts, achieve massive levels of success (regardless of dice roll), and even "retcon" details in a scene, changing the narrative.

Not all games include such a system.  Aside from a brief flirtation with them in Eberron, D&D has never used such a mechanics.  Action points in 4e rarely grant anything but an extra action.  Call of Cthulhu and other "atmospheric" games don't use such a mechanic.

So, as I continue working on Cold Steel Wardens, a major question arises.  Do I put such a mechanic into the game, or do I "let the dice fall where they may"?

Representation of GNS Theory

I believe that the rub lies in what's referred to within game design circles as GNS Theory or, later, The Big Model.  Ron Edwards--creator of the Sorcerer RPG--created this theory as an ongoing set of theory regarding social interactions through role-playing games.  It's been one of the longest running controversies within game design circles since Edwards came up with the idea, but for me at least, Edwards' ideas run true.  Edwards claimed that players (and the games that they prefer) typically would fall within a given category--Gamist, Narrativist, or Simulationist.

My main impetus in creating Cold Steel Wardens echoes a fundamentally Simulationist.  As a representation of the Iron Age of Comics, CSW is built to emulate a certain era of comics, including all of the conceits and hallmarks of that era.  As I told ChaoticFrederick--whose commentary and revisions have been invaluable as I've moved forward!--I expect there to be ninjas, I expect there to be lots of guns, and I expect there to be mafia bosses.  Those are all stereotypes that are hallmarks of the Iron Age of Comics, for better or worse, and they tend to appear quite often.

However, I have a strong desire towards specific Narrativist goals.  The system for Aspects, Motivations, and Stances--which I'm about 2/3 of the way through!--encourages players to test their Hero's assumptions about ethics and morality.  While this stems from such storylines like Miller's Daredevil: Born Again and O'Neil's run on The Question, it's a fundamentally Narrativist idea.  Further, the investigative nature of the material itself lends itself towards storytelling, on the player level, the GM level, and the table-wide level.

However, the mechanics of CSW also provide for a degree of system mastery and "optimal build", which are hallmarks of the Gamist idea.  There's a strong desire for me, as a designer and as a gamer, to try to build "The World's Greatest Detective" or "The Martial Arts Master" in this system.  And, as with nearly every system out there, I've spent more than my share of time dealing with combat at this point--the "throne room" of the Gamist player.  Plus, the ideas that I've been kicking about, regarding a system for in-depth investigation, are solidly gamist--it's a matter of how well the Heroes can access the clues, and how well the Players can put them together.

So, where does this leave us?  Well, with the Hero Pool.  This is to say, the fate-defying mechanic I'm debating building into Cold Steel Wardens.  It's a simple mechanic--a pool of d8s equal to twice the number of players, which can be used to add to any test.  They're one use only--once they're gone, they're gone, unless the GM refreshes them (usually by challenging the PCs in underhanded ways). 

One might say that it's a fundamentally Gamist mechanic--it's something built in to defeat luck, and can be exploited.  It doesn't add much to the story, says the Gamist, but it lets us hit once in a while.  The Narrativist would probably disagree, adding that it adds more creative control to the minds of the players, and allows the Heroes to add in that "last-ditch effort" on a test that really requires a success.  A Simultationist might decry such a mechanic, due to lack of "realism", but simultaneously uphold it as a fitting representation of the genre. 

So, again, where does this leave us?  I'm not really sure.  I wouldn't be so arrogant thusfar as to say that CSW is going to be the mystical Zen-center of the GNS spectrum, but it's raised quite a few questions in my mind, as to where CSW is going.  Let's see how playtest rolls out, and we'll go from there...

A few links for you, in case you're curious:

• The Forge--Articles (Some quality viewpoints on GNS/Big Model Theory)
• "System Does Matter"--Ron Edwards' view on system choice.
• More on "The Threefold Model"--GNS Theory FAQs, included.

In Which The Warlock Reaches the End...




The usual end to one of my games..

 I feel like it's been ages since I've actually reached the natural conclusion of a campaign.  Both "Pirates of the Underdark" and my Wittenberg Eberron game fizzled out before reaching their true ending.  Even before that, there was my defunct Expedition to the Demonweb Pits game, and the TPK that pre-empted our Dark Heresy adventure.

In truth, to reach an actual end was really satisfying for me.  For once, the story could come full circle.  For once, all of the plot hooks and threads that had emerged over the course of the campaign had managed to reach their natural end.  For once...there would be a worthy end.

Something of a tangent:  my favorite character from The Lord of the Rings isn't Aragorn or Legolas, nor is it even Gimli (though, I'm pretty sure that my dwarf-loving tendencies started with him).  Rather, it's Theoden of Rohan.  This is a guy who truly rises up, facing each challenge set before him, even though it costs him his life, his kingdom, his family, and all that goes with them.  Theoden sets the bar for 'heroic speeches', and sums up my feelings on endings par excellence:

Theoden of Rohan, being inspiring!

 "Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end, as to be worthy of remembrance."

It's that mentality that I took into mind when I designed the final battle of the "Tear of Ioun" saga.  After fending off the siege of Morgordal Keep, our heroes found themselves venturing once more to the source of both the corruption in the area, and their own adventure--the Forlorn Tower of Wellspring.

Ia! Ia!  Fhtaghn!

At the top thereof lurked Volarn--the Opener of the Way--and several of his corrupt, degenerate fleshlings.  Energy streamed from archaic runes etched on the tower's face, pouring forth into a corrupted symbol of Ioun.  Beyond that symbol...Zalgo.  The Render of the Veils.  The Hunger with a Thousand Eyes.  The eternal, the ever-dying.  That which waits beyond the walls.

Our heroes leapt into battle as the energies poured forth.  Charging forward, Guf was so unnerved that he tripped, face-planting into a stream of putrescent water tainted with unholy eldritch energies.  As soon as Martook and Lupin managed to join the melee, they were snatched up by Volarn, being dealt horrific woulds by his claws and writhing tentacles.  Shantira cast bolt after fiery bolt, doing  her best to stem the tide of energy that poured into their world.  Aster and Elladan skirted the flanks of the battle, firing arrows and slinging daggers into the cultists, while the enigmatic Blink charged after Volarn.

In the end?  Victory!  As the battle raged on, Elladan raced to cut off Volarn's escape, hamstringing the creature and casting it down in eternal defeat.  As the Forlorn Tower finally collapsed, and the waters of the nearby river ran clear and clean for the first time in decades, the party escaped in triumph.

As we put away the minis for the last time in this game, I provided a brief vignette for each character, summing up their actions, as they parted ways in pursuit of their own epic destinies:

• With Morgordal's new alliance with the Doomguard, Clan-Father Russell of IronVictor was able to lead his combined clan into a new era of prosperity and unity.  Morgordal became an important planar and Underdark trading up, with the Doomguard establishing their first ever Prime Material armory.  Russell rebuilt the temple of Kelemvor, providing a new era of law, order, and peace for the dwarves.
• Lupin, with the assistance of High Templar Wesley Baracus of Blackfall, established a chapel to Bane within Russell's temple.  Lupin also married Shantira, in a Banish ceremony that...well, it probably looked more like an S/M rave than a marriage, but that's life!
• Shantira joined with the enigmatic invoker Belzadi Riftember to create a new school for fire mages, within the halls of Morgordal.  Their combined expertise broke new ground in elemental research, as well as new opportunites to scorch their foes.
• Guf, still delveless, joined the IronVictor/Riftember clans as their sergeant-at-arms, reinforcing and rebuilding the keep outside, and training a new generation of dwarves in the arts of war.
• Aster, still seeking vengeance for Lord Criswell's "betrayal", joined with the assassin 'Cruel' Seirrah and infiltrated the Blackfall Opera House, where Criswell was in attendence.  As Seirrah snuck up on Criswell, Aster fired a single arrow which exploded with fantastic force.  Both Seirrah--who had maimed Aster's ear--and Criswell were slain in the blast, while Aster left, retiring to Gloomwrought.
• Martook, however, was not granted a peaceful retirement with his family.  His pact with Mighty Bane meant that he was once-again a full-time soldier, being recruited to the eternal Blood War.  While his family moved to his massive manor in  Morgordal, Martook soon found himself returning only to an empty house.

And, from here?  Well, we're taking a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but after that, we're back in action.  The exiled Prince Actorios of Theleb Orethia will make his debut, in Chaotic Frederick's Dark Sun game!  Until then, fellow gamers!

In Which The Warlock Tries to "Make it New"...

Bear with me here. Back in the day (the early 1900s, that is), when the Modernists roamed the Earth, poet Ezra Pound wrote "Make it New!". In the book, he set forth the concepts of a revolution of language and literature, in which even the smallest concepts are revisited, resulting in drastic changes to fundamental ideas. Pound himself was a devotee of Dante Alighieri, and produced his own Cantos centered around The Divine Comedy, but with massive alterations in structure and in metaplot.

Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot

Therein lies the rub and, for that matter, our subject for today's blog: newness! If you've been following along, I've been working diligently on my Deadlands game, trying to blend it with Stephen King's Dark Tower mythos and his larger, gestalt world. You'd think that'd be an easy task--toss in an Overlook hotel here, a creepy sewer-dwelling clown there, and the task is complete, right?

Wrong. In the postmodern era, King himself has assembled a pastiche of thematic concepts that started with Robert Browning's Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, to the spaghetti westerns of yesteryear, to the venerable (and immensely gamed-out) Lord of the Rings, to Pound's Modernist buddy T.S. Eliot. Ask any "sane" reader, and an assembly of this magnitude seems schizophrenic on a good day.

The Dark Tower

So, of course, on top of all of this, I'm trying to fit the themes of alternate history (a la Harry Turtledove) as well as elements from Deadlands' own canon. Difficult? Monumental! To say that one cannot serve two masters is something of a misnomer here, but it becomes a massive challenge to provide more than lip service to the combination of canon, inspiring works, and ones' own ideas.

But, it's gaming "work" that needs doing. I was originally drawn to Deadlands for its uniqueness in gaming--in a medium slavishly attached to fantasy cliche, it was a breath of clean winter air in my lungs. Similarly, while still in classic D&D, the Eberron setting inverted so many generic fantasy tropes that it could hardly be recognized as D&D until you broke out the d20s! World War II-era Berlin, dropped into a fantasy world? Zombie "Soviet" soldiers, marching to war against dinosaur-riding tribal halflings? Sentient robots fighting psychic spies aboard lightning-driven trains? Sign me up!

It's this concept of 'newness' and originality, even when (as a GM) you're pulling from other sources, that keeps people pulling up a chair to your gaming table every week. Games that center around only one central pillar, be it mechanical or thematic, are destined to fail, simply due to disinterest. Players want more, and it's our job as a GM to give it to them!

The same can be said for games that are linked too closely to the idea of 'canon'--which, in some ways, tips my hand in terms of my relationship with the RPGA. In a medium that supposedly values and rewards creativity, the "Living" campaigns reward mediocrity and repetition. Similarly, I have been openly lambasting Wizards of the Coast's D&D Essentials line for being overly slavish to nostaligic ideas, many of which were clung to without rhyme or reason. Instead of embracing the mechanical creativity of 4e--which, even within its own mechanics, had been evolving!--the design team took a deliberate step backwards, which will leave the game worse for the taking.

John, over at World vs. Hero expounds on this idea, as he was providing contest advice for some of the entrants on his website. There, John breaks it down in terms of a combination of "Originality" and "Allure". The neat thing is, though: originality does not necessarily mean 'without inspirations'. Rather, he elaborates that:

...originality is a rather fluid state, and we should not be paralyzed into inaction for fear of being unoriginal. When honesty precedes the presentation of creativity, the quality of “being original” becomes “being true to a fresh vision of old and new ideas,” and, under this definition, our art may be judged fairly for what it is...

John, brother--Ezra and Thomas would be proud!

The core of gaming, if it is to ever be taken somewhat seriously as an artistic medium (or to continue on into the "Twitter" era), is to blend new ideas with the fundamental archetypes that serve as the foundation of our collective hobby. Slavish devotion to canon, for whatever reason, leads only to stagnation and, eventually, dismissal. In the end, we're a jaded group. We've been there, and done that. We've killed the orc, taken his pie, and moved on.

Give me something new!

Six-Gun Alien Banner

In Which The Warlock Assembles the Dream Team...

Something I managed to skip--don't ask me how!--were my remarks on my GenCon experience this year. Yes indeedy, the PlatinumChick, Will the ManMan, BoardGame Karen, and yours truly found ourselves at GenCon Indy this year.

I will be honest, though. I didn't get to see much of the show. I did manage to swing by the GameWick booth to say 'hi' to El Willy and his crew, but I almost immediately had to ship out to my game--a private Eberron game run by none other than Keith Baker, the creator of Eberron. Little did I know, though, that we would be joined by C.A. Suleiman (author of Dragonmarked and several other Eberron books) as well as E, the infamous blogger from Geek's Dream Girl!

After a brief meet-and-greet, Keith got the game started. Our characters were all members of the Order of the Ebon Skull--a military order in Karrnath which was defamed and banned at the end of the Last War. However, this involved a pretty major twist--all of our characters were either undead or necromancers! I ended up playing Mandible, a former con-artist turned flameskull. Keith really did a smashing job making these characters unique and interesting, while keeping the "feel" of 4e.

All told, the game was really a blast, but it got me thinking. I got to game with some of the big names of the gaming industry, in their own setting. But if I could game with any celebrity--whether they're an actual gamer or not--who might it be? As such, my lovely readers, here's my list!

Stephen Colbert: This one's almost cheating, as Colbert's a self-professed gamer on his own, back in the days of 1e and 2e. He's just got such a sharp wit and a conviction about him, both in real life interviews and in his 'show persona', that I had to include him. Classwise? He'd make for a perfect Paladin or Warlord, leading the charge into battle with carefully crafted repartee.

Bruce Timm: This is a guy who needs no introduction. As one of the masterminds behind the DC Animated Universe, Timm's writing skills and creativity are without peer in the Western animated world. In the interviews I've seen with him, both live at conventions and recorded on the DVD releases of his animated series, Timm displays a craftiness and a deep knowledge of his subject material. He'd make for about the most epic wizard I could imagine, building plot upon plot, contingency upon contingency.

Lady Gaga: Shocked by this one? Don't be. Of all of the musical minds out there, Gaga's got to be one of the most creative of the modern era, and she's not afraid to make a statement. It's likely that she's never slung dice in her life, but I doubt that would stop her! I'd love to have her at the table, dicing up baddies as a Red Sonja-esque barbarian or avenger-chick, replete with the most fashionable chainmail-bikini that gp can buy!

Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw: Yahtzee is the mastermind behind the tongue-impaled-in-cheek web-series, "Zero Punctuation", which is hosted on "The Escapist" web magazine. While I doubt that Yahtzee would be willing to descend "back into the basement" for a session of D&D, I could easily see him joining the party as a snarky, dagger-slinging rogue or a sardonic warlock.

Mario Batali: For those of you longtime followers of my blog, you'll know that I'm a self-proclaimed foodie. I love small, family-owned restaurants, and I follow Food Network and the like as if it was my job. My favorite celeb chef of all time has been Mario Batali: the Rutgers-educated, clog-wearing, maestro of Italian cuisine. In addition to his affable nature and personality, Batali absolutely looks the part of a classic Viking warrior. I've joked before that, as an Iron Chef, he carves turkeys with a battle-axe. Having him jump in as a straight-up, sword-and-board fighter or warden would round out our group perfectly.

So, how about you, gamer nation? Who would you ask join your table for a night of dice-slinging action?

In Which The Warlock Ships Out for a Week...

Just a brief off-day post for you, fellow gamers, to keep you appraised of a few things.

Firstly, your friendly neighborhood Warlock is shipping out tomorrow with the PlatinumChick for our long-delayed honeymoon in Orlando. While I might have sporadic access to 'teh Intarwebs', I won't be around enough next week to focus on blogging and the like. As such, the lovely and talented Ms. L (I guess it's Mrs. L now, but let's not get technical) will be providing a guest post next Wednesday. Enjoy!

Also, the WittKrew's GenCon plans are coming into focus finally. In fact, I managed to end up in a very special situation.

You see, Keith Baker--WotC designer and creator of the Eberron Campaign Setting--has been holding a contest over on his blog: Have Dice, Will Travel, for the rights to play in an exclusive, off-the-books 4e Eberron game, with him as GM! And, with a little bit of creative writing on the part of yours truly, I have a seat in this game! I'm definitely excited about this one...

You can see my contest-winning entry at HDWT: Week Two Results.

Adios, fellow gamers! Back in two weeks!

In Which The Warlock Gets Back to Where He Once Belonged...

Man, oh man. First level.

For anyone who's ever played an RPG, it brings on ton of mixed emotions. It brings excitement--that first rush of adventure, as kobolds or skeletons fell beneath your sword. It brings fear--memories of being so fragile, so frail, that those very kobolds or skellies might bring you to your knees (oh, the horror!). And, for some, it brings outright frustration, particularly for anyone who played a 1st level wizard, and could be taken out (legitimately!) by a housecat.

It's been absolutely ages since I've actually played in a campaign starting at 1st level. Most of the games that I run, or have been involved in, have been starting at a low-middle level, in what this Age of 4e has been calling "late heroic tier". Mainly, this was to avoid those last two issues: no one wanted to play a game in which you could be ganked by a tiny little lizardman with a loincloth and a stick.

So, when Chris II took over the GMing reins, I was a little shocked and...well, nervous. While he mentioned wanting to start the "actual" campaign at 6th level, he wanted to run a few flashback sessions, starting us at 1st level. It had been so long...and my concept for Cyrid was one for a scarred veteran...and first level sucked, right?

I'm happy to say I was wrong.

Yes, level 1 brings its own challenges, but it's spectacular to go back to it--to the core of what D&D is: setting out on an adventure with your good friends, not knowing what might be around the next corner, finding that first +1 weapon, and having fun.

We just hit level 2 at the end of last week's session, and Cyrid actually came away with the first magic item of the game. (Sometimes it helps to be the only character wearing heavy armor, it seems!) We're marching our way off to the actual Keep on the Shadowfell, and my Valenar warrior already has a vendetta out on a betrayer-elf named Nynerin.

Can't wait to see how it turns out!

In Which The Warlock Introduces His New Character...

With Chris II taking the GMing reins for a while, I actually get the chance to play some 4e for once! After much agonizing deliberation and uite a bit of back-and-forth deciding, I decided on an elf paladin for this game. As such, enjoy the background of my newest character: Cyrid Alamein, Valenar mercenary!

Name: Cyrid Alamein
Age: 52
Race: Elf (Valenar)
Homeland: Jal Paeridor, Valinor
Parents: Elladir (father) and Malaenir (mother)—both alive, in grasslands surrounding Jal Paeridor
Siblings: None.
Faith: Believes in the divinity of his ancestor spirits, particularly his grandfather, Jhordaen.
Fav. Food: “Buried” lamb, with roasted root vegetables and flatbread.
Pastimes: Drinking, darts and other games of skill,
Party Role: Primary defender, secondary damage-dealer.
Strengths: Intense melee damage, strong defenses, marking abilities, physical skill use.
Weaknesses: Mobility, ranged combat, social interactions, no arcane ability.

Cyrid Alamein is, as are all Valenar elves, a warrior. He was raised from birth to fight in the name of his country, his family, and honor. Cyrid’s father, Elladir, was a noted cavalryman, who lost an arm when his company was hired by Karrnath to fight off the Talenta Halflings. Malaenir, Cyrid’s mother, was also a member of the company, serving in amongst the infantry. She, too, was injured, during the battle, and spent several weeks recuperating with Elladir. Their time together blossomed into romance, and they were wed.

The fruit of that marriage was Cyrid, who was raised to be a soldier from birth. Few children within the Valenar encampments could best him, despite the fact that many were stronger, quicker, or more intelligent than he. Cyrid’s natural bloodthirst, coupled with an uncanny knowledge of both offensive and defensive technique, earned him many commendations. One of these commendations led Cyrid into the Krak Cormanthus—an elite guard of Valenar mercenaries, who used their devotion to their ancestors as a literal weapon. There, Cyrid’s training expanded to include the channeling of the dead members of the Alamein clan through his weapon of choice.

While many of the Cormanthine Guard chose typical elven weaponry to wield, Cyrid instead picked a flail—a weapon rarely seen in the hands of an elf. While Cyrid rarely speaks of it, he chose the flail out of respect for his grandfather, a powerful elf marshal known as Vadykar. Vadykar’s legend has only grown since his death, as the Last War made him into something of a figure of legend. Cyrid always appreciated the stories of Vadykar’s death, as he fought off an entire legion of Thranish shock-troops with only one arm and one eye, his flail brutally smashing into the Silver Flame cultists.

As part of the Cormanthine Guard, Cyrid was dispatched to Cyre, to fight against the Brelish forces. There, he rose to the rank of Second Field Sergeant, beneath Field Commandant Raviar Tslan. While on reconnaissance, dissension began to grow between Tslan and Cyrid, over the path being taken. The men were swiftly becoming split between Cyrid and his commander, and he was pressured into a coup. However, when the time came to confront Tslan, none of the men stood with him. Rather, they aided Tslan in flogging him, and hanging him in a tree by his own flail, leaving him behind to die.

Shortly thereafter, Cyrid was found by a Brelish reconnaissance force and was rescued. Unconscious, he was taken to a House Jorasco healing house for treatment of his wounds. Upon awakening, Cyrid found himself without focus and without company, and deep in Brelish territory. Deciding to make his fortune before visiting bloody vengeance upon his former squad-mates, Cyrid left with a Brelish caravan for Sharn.

Cyrid is a fairly insecure character who lurks behind a mask of bravado and brash action. He has been raised since birth to be a warrior, and is quite good at it, but he finds battle for battle’s sake unfulfilling. He desperately wants vengeance on his former squadmates, particularly Raviar Tslan, but knows the near-impossibility of this task.
Cyrid has never known romance, and often wonders if his path will lead him to find love, as his parents did. However, he doubts that he will ever be able to reconcile his path of vengeance with a woman to love. Further, Cyrid desperately wants to live up to the model of his grandfather, Vadykar, who seems to be larger-than-life.

Cyrid’s only real friend in Sharn has been Gharthen, a tiefling barkeep at a watering hole in the depths of Sharn. Cyrid regularly goes there to drink, and to play darts against the sardonic tiefling. He has not had much luck finding mercenary work, as he refuses to register with House Deneith or House Tharashk.

In Which The Warlock Reaches The End of Things...

They say that all good things must come to an end. If that's the case, I've had it way too good for far too long. It seems that, with the end of December, both of my weekly D&D games will be ending.

In our "Pirates of the Underdark" game, we have two sessions left to wrap up the conveluted plot points, the circuitous undercurrents, and a massive trip to the heart of the Abyss left to go. I can't bear to spoil the plot here, at least not until the last few sessions play out, but rest assured that you'll get all of the details here.

I will, however, spoil the remainder of the plot for my "Echoes of the Last War" game, which I was running at Wittenberg. When we last left off, the players had been trekking through the Xen'drik jungle, in search of a House Cannith archaeological dig, which they had found evidence of in a shady lab in the Cogs of Sharn.

At the dig site, our players would have found a mysterious series of runes which, when translated, would have dealt with the missing Mark of Death, and particularly the combinations thereof with other dragonmarks. Notes left behind by the previous dig manager would have led the heroes back onto Khorvaire, to the Citadel of Twelve, in Karnnath.

Using some diplomacy and guile, the players would have infiltrated the Citadel, only to find little to no evidence (or help) from the dragonmarked heirs there. However, some further investigation of both House Cannith and House Thuranni would have given the indication that the group's old buddy, Thondred ir'Dayne, was still alive! Shocked, they would be confronted with an impossible task: infiltrating the prison of Dreadhold and breaking out their friend.

After another bit of sneaking, the party would find Thondred deep in the "Stone Ward" of Dreadhold. There, he'd enlighten them on the real plot: Cannith and Thuranni were in cahoots all along. The Mourning? Yeah, it was their fault, as they attempted to formulate an arcane/alchemical replacement for the missing Mark of Death. And, using the information from the dig sites in Xen'drik, House Cannith now has a prototype for a "Dragonmark Bomb"...a miniaturized Mourning that they intend to sell off to the highest bidder at the city of Thronehold.

Amazed, the PCs would have had to sneak back off of Dreadhold's island and into the Lhaazar Principalities, seeking passage with a pirate captain. Said pirate captain was, of course, deep in House Lyrandar's pockets, and set the PCs ashore in the midst of the Mournland!

After several challenges in traversing the Mournland, the PCs would have met one of the most dangerous individuals in the realm: the Lord of Blades. Obviously, the option to flee would be there, but should they negotiate, they'd find a kindred spirit! The Lord of Blades has no interest in seeing the world annihilated (even if it does mean the fall of the 5 nations), and so sends the PCs on their way to Thronehold with an escort of Warforged infiltrators.

The game would have ended with the PCs racing against time to stop the auction, and stopping the heads of the two dragonmarked houses--Thuranni and Cannith--from selling off their weapon.

Ironically, this game would have ended with the PCs becoming, essentially, fugitives and 'terrorists', sending them on the run for good. A definite strange ending, but one I hadn't explored yet.

As for what comes next? We'll see. I have some ideas rattling around my brain right now, but my focus has been on SunnyVale Acres for the last few weeks. Here's hoping I'll have my prototype out by New Year's!

In Which The Warlock is "Mal Carne"...

As I've mentioned several times throughout this blog, I'm a self-proclaimed foodie. Our TV is nearly always turned to the Food Network or Travel Channel, and I'm a fiend for the original run of Iron Chef. As such, it's really no surprise that one of my favorites is the culinary outrider Anthony Bourdain: author of Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and host of Travel Channel's No Reservations. I've read all but one of his books--can't find the last one!--countless times, and I rarely miss an episode.

About 2/3 of the way through Kitchen Confidential, Tony gives us a culinary glossary: all the lingo that you might hear if you wandered into one of his kitchens. Among them are standards that you'd expect--"burnt" for a steak well-done, "a deuce" for a two-person table--as well as assorted Spanish and Portugese profanity, usually used as a term of endearment.

However, only one term fits where I'm at right now: I'm in the weeds.

To paraphrase Bourdain, a chef that's "in the weeds" is the guy getting slammed with orders left and right, his tickets backing up and stacking up, and his mise en place (his prep station) running out of everything. A chef in the weeds is one that's in over his head and sinking quickly, with literally too much on the burner.

I've always said that I often feel like a juggler at certain times of year, tossing up knives, chainsaws, balls, and priceless Ming vases. In terms of my gaming schedule, it's just best that I don't look up, and just keep on slinging.

--My Pirates of the Underdark is headed towards its climactic finale...a little earlier than anticipated. With one of our players bowing out, and a second about to move to northern Ohio, I have exactly three sessions to wrap up our convoluted plot, tie in all of the various sub-plots, and reach a plane-shattering end with the demon lords Dagon and Lascer.

--Simultaneously, I need to wrap up my Tuesday Eberron game before the Wittenberg semester is out. My players just managed to find their way deep into the Xen'drik jungle, in search of a House Cannith archaeological dig. The game's been going well so far, and it's a shame to pull it to an end, but it's been pretty rough on me as I've been running it mid-week in Springfield...and waking up for work at 6:30 the next morning. Much fun, but rough on the sleep schedule.

--After hitting a new set of playtests with Draft 4 of Dungeon Slam!, it's appearing more and more like I need to do a full board revision for the next go-round. Draft 5 will hopefully be tighter and faster, especially considering the time the last playtest took; I thought I had the time-issues under control...apparently not.

--In addition, I'm currently in development of another board game! Yes, you heard it here...I'm already starting my second game, even before DS starts getting submitted.

SunnyVale Acres, my second game, centers on the geekiest, most brutal gated community in the Nine Worlds, with cowboys, pirates, ninjas and more vying for the coveted position of Community Chairperson. I'm hoping to have a draft out in time for either the New Year or for WittCon VII.

--Speaking of our con schedule, we've all got to get locked and loaded for this year. We're averaging about one con per month, starting in March with WittCon VII! Afterwards, we'll hit FopCon II, C2E2 in Chicago, Origins, and possibly even GenCon (as it's a week earlier, and will come before I start up back at school!). Plus, with the WittKids looking to run events at Origins this year, we'll be up to our eyeballs in planning.

That's just a sampling of the balls in the air right now. I'm still waiting on one last chapter of WEGS 101--Dice Rules!, which will rock the WEGS community's socks off, once it's finally out...

Let's just hope I don't drop the ball, here!

In Which The Warlock is Mystified by "Good"...

I've been running, in addition to my Friday "Pirates of the Underdark" game, a newbie-level session of D&D, set in Eberron, for the WittKids. At the beginning, it had been kind of rough, but things have been moving apace, and the players seem to be really enjoying the game, now that we're picking up steam.

However, with our session last week, something unique came up which really echoes one of the biggest issues with D&D since its inception.

Arriving in Stormreach--a piratical town if there ever was one--the players began looking for a guide to take them to a House Cannith archaelogical dig deep in the Xen'drik jungle. To do so, they entered a bar (the eponymous "Styx Oarsman", which features in entirely too many of my games) only to be confronted by a conundrum: a group of orcish hooligan regulars sat there, growing angry from the noise coming from a group of dwarves who had "taken over their bar".

Needless to say, I was pushing for a bar-fight, as a GM, and nearly the whole group saw this inevitable resolution coming. One, however, tried negotiating.

Wait, negotiating? Negotiating! This is D&D! Kill them and take their stuff, right?!

Immediately, the other players asked him, "What's your alignment?"
His response? "Lawful good, of course. I always play Lawful Good."

I was flabbergasted. The first D&D character I ever rolled up was a 2e Paladin (complete with heavy flail), though I never actually played him. To be honest, I've only once ever played a LG character--the hybrid paladin/fighter Maxwell Craedon, in Callon's epic level "Dark Tower" saga. Even then, I found it immensely difficult. Put in a situation where a great evil lurked (a fetus lich, if you can imagine that) and I was unable to act, I literally had to call a "timeout" in the game, telling my fellow players that they had better "hold me back, because Maxwell's going to go down swinging".

That situation, by itself, was agonizing enough, trying to play a character that wants nothing more than to "save the world", while being exposed to hideous evil. This is to say nothing of the "lawful stupid" attitude, or the archtype of the 'bland, selfless knight' that seems to pollute fantasy (Dragonlance, I'm looking at you!). Lawful Good is...boring, right?

Meanwhile, I've always been a fan of moral ambiguity. "Pirates of the Underdark" notwithstanding, My characters have always had some strange balance between good and evil, law and chaos. Garius ir'Dolanian--my human ranger in Jules' last Eberron game--coldcocked his own mother with a tequila bottle, because he thought he could save her from the cultists that had brainwashed her. Hell, Jaegren Lern--the One Living Man--was utterly amoral, raised by necromancers and trained to be an undead master.

I guess the thing that shocks me most is not that my player is actually trying to play LG, but rather that he always plays LG. It's been a struggle for me even to play the alignment well once, but he seems to know nothing but it.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess, but some understanding would be helpful. What are your experiences with the Lawful Good Syndrome?

In Which The Warlock Runs Down The FOPCon...

Whew--I'm still recovering from the carnage at FOPCon this past weekend. The WittWeggers showed up in force, for what turned out to be a really great time.

The Front Hall at FOPCon 2009


FOPCon was held at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in Huber Heights, which was really a fantastic venue for it. While the minis/card events were held out front with the vendors, the rpgs (and my WEGS demos) were in the back, in a comfortable room complete with massive corner couch around a TV showing classic gamer flicks.

While my Dark Heresy game didn't go off as planned, I had just enough players to fill out WEGS tables for demos of Dingbitt's Dunge-o-Doom! In both cases, the Arks managed to weave their way through Dingbitt's cavern, finding ancient and powerful artifacts as they went.

Round 2 of Dingbitt's Begins!

Particularly the second group. Ugh!

Okay, so in Dingbitt's, players have a chance to find "trove" equal to 11% times the level that they're on. Level 1 = 11%, Level 2 = 22%, and so on.

I kid you not--they marched through the first four levels, finding trove on each and every floor they went through! By the time they hit floor 8, I had to beef up the encounters, just to keep up with their power! The final encounter--with two massive Double 88s--speaks for itself!

All smiles after finding some Trove!

The final room--Dingbitt's Sanctum!


One neat thing of note, though. Since I didn't get to run Dark Heresy, I instead jumped in on Jules' version of "Sharn's Eleven". This was kind of a neat experience, as I co-wrote this module and, in fact, re-did all of the characters for 4th edition. However, playing through the module as Stark--the Warforged Fighter--was really a unique experience, as I hadn't forseen his natural conflict with Asa, the Shifter Druid, played by Kat. It definitely made for a unique twist!

Happy players in "Sharn's Eleven"



All of this is just making me look forward to our next convention even more! After a "week off" for Labor Day--during which my parents are coming into town for the PlatinumChick's bridal shower!--I'm back in action, running WEGS demos at Springfield's Champion City ComicCon!

"Dwarf Walks" anyone?

Updates!

Boy, this week has been chock-full of gaming news....

Today marked the first ever live-playtest of Dungeon Slam! and things went phenomenally well. The game's clocking in at the right amount of time, and everyone seemed to have a blast. There are still a lot of changes left to make, though, and it looks like I'm going to be one busy game designer here in the future.

Jules' Eberron game wrapped up on Friday, and Garius ir'Dolanian--my 12th level ranger--made short work of the Lord of Blades, clearing his name in Sharn and gaining the favor of Kaius III of Karnnath. Time for him to kick back and drink some kuryeva!

With that, I'm about to start running Pirates of the Underdark. Friday, we'll be playing with a new character generation system based off of one created by Green Ronin Publishing. Suffice to say, it's particularly pirate-y, and their characters' lives will all be depending on 7 important points.

And, speaking of rolling 7s, I finally managed to scrounge together enough gamer-cash to buy WEGS! There's nothing like sitting around and tossing in some spante for a Flaming Fryball. With Karl back in town this past week, we threw down two games--Ebbs ran the WEGS classic "Dwarf Walks Into a Bar", while I kicked up an original creation, which was dubbed "One Shitty Adventure". "Dwarf Walks..." ended with my Skolar nearly getting bashed to death by an irate barkeep, while "Shitty Adventure" ended with the adventurers heading Off to the Spheres after a deadly encounter with a sewer necromancer.

All this, and curry, too! What more's a gamer to want?!

Nothing New Under The Sun...

Well, this is kind of odd, but I guess I'm writing to say that I have nothing really to write about.

Seriously.

Not a thing.

Dungeon Slam! has sat idle for weeks, with not so much as a new Spell or Miscellaneous Item to show for my ideas. I haven't been able to write anything, mainly due to the stress of my job.

There are many, many days that I wished I worked at a "normal" school. Hell, I'm just getting sick of the label "normal."

Oh, but I guess Jules' campaign is going well. My ranger, Garius ir'Dolanian, is now wanted by the Korranberg Watch, after trying to expose an illegal creation forge in Sharn. Never fear, though, we're not on our way to Argonessen, where (I hope) we'll bilk the dragons out some of their "ancient artifacts of the bygone ages" in exchange for the giant Khyber shard we have....which just happens to be a gateway to Hell.

Oh, and I bought a copy of Arkham Horror, now that it's back in print. To go with it, I also bought a nifty little craft box to keep all of the pieces straight. With the sheer number of pieces that AH has, the box comes in uber-handy.

Oh, and speaking of Arkham Horror, a fourth expansion is in the pipeline, according to Fantasy Flight Games. This one, called Kingsport Horror, includes a whole new board. Should be interesting, especially if it lives up to the previews.

That's about it. I think. Maybe there's more...if so, I guess I could update more often.